


The Tale of Ivan

by AdamTheApprentice



Category: Curse of Strahd - Fandom, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Backstory, Campaign Log, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Player Character Ireena, Serious Injuries, childhood crush, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:34:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26061241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdamTheApprentice/pseuds/AdamTheApprentice
Summary: This is the journey of my character through our Curse of Strahd campaign. I am playing as the NPC Ireena, who has undergone some changes regarding backstory and personality, thus becoming Ivan. This is his story as he attempts to save his homeland, and himself, from the clutches of Strahd von Zarovich.
Relationships: Escher & Ireena Kolyana, Ireena Kolyana & Ismark Kolyanovich, Ireena Kolyana & Kolyan Indirovich, Ireena Kolyana & Zente Angelovich
Kudos: 3





	1. Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is backstory! This is Ivan (then known as Ireena) being led to the Village of Barovia and being found by Kolyan.

Ireena stumbled again, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes as she looked about frantically. Around her, dark woods loomed and threatened to close in, and wolves howled their horrifying songs. She didn’t know how long or how far she had run, but she was so tired and so afraid. Izek was sure to be worried about her; she  _ had _ to get home!

As she tried to regain her bearings, she tripped over a root and tumbled into a small ravine. When she tried to stand, she felt only unbearable pain. The leg she’d landed on was belt oddly, and it wouldn’t move. Fresh tears stung the child’s eyes as she tried to drag herself from the place she’d landed, but she could barely make it an inch before she was overcome by the pain.

Try as she might, Ireena couldn’t keep her wailing to herself. She screamed in anguish, curling up on the ground as best she could as she sobbed. Ireena thought she heard sounds in the brush, and for a moment she was terrified that wolves had come to end her. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body shaking as she began to cry harder.

No wolves came, though. Ireena felt soft hands on her leg. She cried out in pain as her leg was moved, but a soft voice hushed her.

“Sh, sh, little one. This will all stop hurting in a moment, I promise. It’s going to be alright.”

Ireena couldn’t open her eyes. It hurt so much, how could it ever end? She choked back another sob as the hands straightened her leg. Through the pain, she heard the soft sound of the voice talking. As he spoke, the pain began to fade, until Ireena couldn’t feel it at all. The gentle hands helped her sit up, and she sniffled.

“There we go, that’s better. Now, what’s your name, little one?”

Ireena wiped at her eyes, but the hands shooed them again, gently dabbing at her tears with a cloth.

“I-I-Ireena...Strazni…”

She finally opened her eyes, looking up at the man. She was enamored immediately. He looked like something out of the story books her mother read, like a fairy or a prince of some far away land. He gave her a smile, slowly helping her to her feet.

“Where are your parents, little one? You’re awfully far from town to have wandered out on your own.”

At that, Ireena felt herself panic again. How far had she gone? Would she ever get back? Would her brother be mad? Would her parents be okay? She didn’t know how to answer any of those questions and began to cry again.

“O-oh no, please, don’t cry! Uhm, here, how about I sing you a little something. Uhm…”

The sound of the man’s voice was lovely. Soft and smooth. It was even lovelier than her mother’s voice. The man sang of the sun, bright and red in the sky, and of the cycle of the day on into the night and next morning. As he sang, he picked Ireena up, holding her as he began to walk. Ireena laid her head against the man’s shoulder, holding onto him as they travelled.

When the song was over, the man began telling her stories and poems. Her eyes were just starting to drift shut when he set her down.

“Alright, little one, you should be able to find your way home now. We’re not far.”

Ireena looked towards the edge of the forest before looking up at him. She really didn’t want to go back, if she was being honest. Yes, she was worried about her mother and father. And she missed her brother so much. But Vallaki was so sad. She didn’t want to be in the sad town anymore. So she looked back up at the man with a smile.

“I want to stay with you!”

He looked shocked and horrified at the same time. “Absolutely  _ not _ . You need to go back to your family.”

Ireena followed his step when he backed away. “You can be my family! Town is so sad, and you’re so nice!”

The man shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’m a monster, and you can’t live with monsters.”

“But you’re too pretty to be a monster! Please?”

He huffed and knelt down, taking her by the cheeks. Ireena felt compelled to keep her eyes locked with his as he spoke.

“Your home is the village. Your family is looking for you. You were chased through the woods by a monster, and you did not meet a nice man in the woods. You are full of fear from the monster you saw.”

A sudden shock filled Ireena’s mind, and she screamed in pain, ripping herself back and holding her head. Her eyes opened and she tried to look around. Where was she?  _ Woods. _ Why was she here?  _ Run. _ Run?  _ RUN. _

Ireena’s eyes flicked up for a moment and she saw them. Two red eyes.  _ Monster. _ Ireena screamed in terror, turning away and running as fast and hard as she could. How did she get here? Where was her brother? Brother? Who was he? Where was father? What did father look like? All she remembered was black, a void of horrid black. And those eyes. And… And a song. Who sang it? Mother?

Her thoughts cut off as she hit something solid, arms wrapping around her.

“Whoa! By the Morninglord, what- Father! Father, I found a girl!”

_ Father? _

Ireena looked around until her eyes caught sight of the man. She quickly ran to him, throwing her arms around his leg.

“Papa! There’s a monster in the woods!”

Everything was a blur after that, but she felt her father’s arms around her, felt him pick her up. She heard her brother talking, and she began to calm down. Her family was here. She was safe.

Everything would be okay from now on.


	2. Childhood Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is Ivan (then known as Ireena) interacting with a boy from the village upon whom he had his first crush.

Ireena peeked over the edge of her bedroom window, watching her brother talking to one of the village boys. She had heard them whispering at church that morning, and was excited when their father said that he could come to their house so that Ismark could teach him how to use a sword.

The boy was named Zente Angelovich. Ireena didn’t know very much about him, but she knew his father didn’t come to church and that his mother didn’t have light in her eyes. And she knew that Zente was nothing like either of them. He was almost always smiling, and he was very kind. He’d helped her up when she fell over in the road on the way home, and even prayed for her scraped knee. To say that she had a childhood crush on him would be an understatement.

She gasped as he picked up a sword, wondering if she would ever be strong enough to lift one. Every time he and Ismark made a slash at one another, she covered her eyes, peeking through a crack between her fingers to make that neither of them were harmed. She only tore herself away when Kolyan called her to help him make dinner. After all, Zente would be eating with them tonight and everything had to be perfect. They were the Burgomaster’s family, after all.

When Ismark and Zente came inside, Ireena had just finished setting the table, Kolyan watching and nodding with approval. She was so happy when she got to sit next right across from Zente that she didn’t even mind having to wash the dishes by herself after dinner.

The best part, though, was right before Zente left for the day. The boy knelt down in front of Ireena and presented her with a small, colorful piece of folded cloth.

“A present for you, little rose. I thought you might like it, since Ismark told me you’ve been learning to sew.”

The girl accepted it happily, unfolding the cloth and giggling happily. Inside was a spool of red thread and a silver thimble engraved with a rose. She was too embarrassed to thank him properly, hiding behind Ismark’s legs and continuing her soft giggles. Zente seemed to get the hint, though, because he smiled fondly before getting up and leaving.

It was the strangest thing, though. Even though Ireena always knew exactly where she left the thimble, it somehow kept ending up in one of the drawers in Kolyan’s desk and she always had to go and find it when she wanted to sew. Eventually, she made a little pocket for it inside her dresses so she would never lose it.

Even after Zente ran away, or so Ismark said, she kept the thimble. It was a reminder for her of her first love, and became her most treasured possession.


End file.
